Menu
Portree Parish Church of Scotland
Community parish church on the Isle of Skye
  • Home
  • Minister’s Messages
  • About Us
    • Church History
    • The Church of Scotland
    • Financial Reports
    • Congregational Roll
  • News and Intimations
  • Services
  • Sunday School
Close Menu

TOWARDS REOPENING OF OUR CHURCH – UPDATE 2

21 August 2020

In the last update I gave you on our plans for the reopening of our church, I said that a subgroup of Kirk Session members had been set up and tasked with the formulation of detailed proposals for entry into and exit from the church ; the sanitising of the accommodation before and after each use of the building ;  seating capacity and arrangements according to the current social distancing regulations.

This group met in the church and made a careful examination of all procedures which would have to be followed for a reopening to be considered safe.  The group’s proposals were discussed at our (Zoom) Kirk Session meeting of 13 August and received the unanimous approval of Session.  The remainder of our meeting was devoted to the question of when we would reopen the church for worship.

While all Elders were confident of the procedures which can be implemented in the church for sanitising and ensuring proper social distancing etc., it was considered equally important that external factors which are outwith our control must also be taken into account.

Such factors which were considered important included :-

  • The current situation in Scotland and the number of infection spikes developing in different areas.
  • The onset of the tourist season and the number of foreign visitors.
  • The reopening of the local schools.
  • The age and vulnerability of many members of our congregation.

Each Elder was given the opportunity to express his or her views on the matter and whilst the universal view of all present was that they wished the church to reopen as soon as it was safe to do so.  It was the unanimous decision of Session that reopening be further postponed and that the question would be revisited at the next Kirk Session meeting on 3 September.

Session appreciates that this decision will be a great disappointment to many, but Session has the responsibility and duty to ensure the health and safety of all users of the church.

It was also noted at the meeting that of the 20 Church of Scotland buildings in our Presbytery of Lochcarron-Skye, none was opened at present and only Portree had indicated a possible opening before the end of September.

I will obviously keep you all informed of developments and our plans.

Bill Marshall

Session Clerk

READ, MEDITATE, PRAY God’s Call in the time of Covid-19: Webinar

Related Posts

Intimations, News

Life and Work

Intimations, News

Poems for the New Year, 2021

Intimations, News

Christmas and New Year Services 2020/2021

Minister’s Messages

  • Sunday 24 January 2021
    January 24, 2021
  • Sunday 17 January 2021
    January 17, 2021
  • Sunday 10 January 2021
    January 10, 2021
  • Sunday 03 January 2021
    January 3, 2021
  • NEW YEAR’S DAY 01 January 2021
    January 1, 2021

RSS Church of Scotland News

  • Holocaust Memorial Day marked with reflection and memories January 27, 2021
    People across the world are marking Holocaust Memorial Day which is dedicated to honouring all those, including six million Jews, who were murdered under Nazi rule during the Second World War. The scope of the...
  • New refugee integration and worship resources launched January 27, 2021
    Two new sets of worship materials and educational tools on the theme of refugee integration, which have been created in partnership with Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees, have launched this week for churches, individuals and...
  • Aberdeenshire Guild group raises thousands with virtual walk to Bethlehem January 26, 2021
    An Aberdeenshire Guild group raised thousands of pounds to support their work in the local community by taking part in a "virtual" sponsored walk. . .
  • Fife church recruits first full-time youth leader January 25, 2021
    A Fife church has recruited its first ever full-time youth pastor. Lee Whitecross is responsible for nurturing young people at Gillespie Memorial Church in Dunfermline and reaching out to others in the town. The 25-year-old...
  • Church joins disarmament campaigners in celebrating nuclear weapons treaty January 22, 2021
    The Church of Scotland is celebrating the moment today – 22 January 2021 – when the new international Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons comes into force. This is the culmination of global efforts...
Back To Top
© Portree Parish Church 2021
Portree Parish Church of Scotland is a Charity Registered in Scotland SC 000416